Scots to get anti-smacking laws

Controversial anti-smacking legislation giving tougher legal protection to children was expected to be detailed in a Scottish Parliament Bill today.

The proposed legislation was set to outlaw the hitting of all children with any implement and the smacking of children under three.

UK campaigners, who have called for improved protection for children in England and Wales, have hailed the planned laws north of the border as a "bold step forward".

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said last night the Scottish proposals set an example to be followed.

NSPCC director Mary Marsh said a Mori telephone survey of 912 adults in England and Wales showed wide public support for law reform.

Fifty-eight per cent said they would support changing the law to protect all children from being hit, provided parents were not to be prosecuted for "trivial smacks".

She said: "The Scottish reforms are a bold step forward for child protection.

"Unlike the Scottish Executive, the Government has definitely misread the popular mood.

"People are prepared for law reform because they

know it will help us all protect children more effectively and is not an attack on ordinary parents."

She went on: "The Government's failure to act sends out a dangerous message that hitting children - even babies and toddlers, even with implements, even around the head - is acceptable."

The Scottish proposals are part of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill, which contains a mass of other public safety measures, including tougher sentences for child pornography, stronger criminal record checks for those working with children and vulnerable adults, and stricter controls for serious sexual and violent offenders.

But the measures relating to the hitting of children have prompted the most controversy.

The Scottish Executive insists there is still room for discussion on the smacking age limit, and that this could be modified as the Bill progressed through the Scottish Parliament.

Defending the proposals, an Executive spokesman said: "People do have a special entitlement to chastise their children for the purpose of discipline.

"But the law is very unclear as to what that entitles them to do."

He went on: "We are making it absolutely clear that in Scotland, it will be unlawful to strike a child with an implement, to shake a child, or strike a child around the head.

"There will be no circumstances in which that will be deemed reasonable."

Of the smacking age limit he said: "Ministers firmly believe that there is an age below which it is wrong to strike a child.

"We propose that that should be below the age of three.

"But ministers have repeated time after time they are open to discussions on what the actual age should be, and we will be very interested to hear what Parliament has to say as the Bill progresses."